Youngsters urged to help rescruit north east’s next generation of civil engineers

Leader reporter

Regional chiefs at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) are asking the north east’s schoolchildren to help it launch a recruitment drive as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations.

Teams of Year 8 and 9 students at schools across the region are being invited to enter a competition to create an advert intended to promote civil engineering as a career.

The winning team, to be chosen at a finalists’ event at New College Durham next May, will get £500 for their school and a £50 gift voucher for each team member.

Institution regional director Penny Marshall said: “We are facing a shortage of civil engineers across the UK, including in the north east, so we’re asking the region’s young people to help us to inspire more people to join our profession.

“ICE North East celebrates its 125th birthday next year. By reaching out to a new generation, we can ensure that the north east has the skills it needs to tackle the challenges of the next 125 years.”

Entries can take the form of a poster, video commercial, video interview, comic or any other medium capable of being uploaded to the competition website, www.ice.org.uk/north-east/125-inspire